On the 30 January 2013 The London Borough of Lambeth resolved to designate the 1st March 2013 as the “appointed day” on which the provisions of section 75 of the London Local Authorities Act 2007 in so far as they relate to controlling mail forwarding businesses would come into force.

Effects of Provision

After the 1st March 2013 and (subject to the transitional period) it will not be possible to carry on a mail forwarding or holding business in the borough unless it is registered in writing with the Council. This will apply to existing and new mail forwarding businesses. Apart from having to register with the Council, a person carrying on a mail forwarding business will be required to keep a record of:

• a The full name, address, and telephone number of all persons for whom post is received or who has requested postal packets received to be held or forwarded to them.
• b The nature of the business carried out by that person.
• c Any instructions as to delivery and forwarding of postal packets.
• d In the case of every postal packet forwarded the name and address of person(s) to whom postal packets are to be forwarded, if different from (a) above
• e Copies of originals of two documents approved by the Council for the purposes of identifying the person and verifying the address(es) required in (a) above.

A mail forwarding business will be required to keep records for at least a year after the end of an arrangement to hold or forward on postal packets and to keep them available for inspection by the police or any authorised officer at all reasonable times.

It will be a criminal offence to: fail to comply with the provisions of the section or; to furnish false information for the purposes of either registration/alteration to the register or to a mail forwarding business in relation to particulars they are required to keep; to make a false entry in records kept by a person carrying on a mail forwarding business. The maximum penalty will be a fine not exceeding level 5 on summary conviction.

A transitional period has been built into the 2007 Act whereby the requirement not to carry on a mail forwarding business without registration and the duty to keep records does not apply until four weeks after the appointed day of 1st March 2013.

To register a mail forwarding businesses please contact Trading Standards, 5th Floor, Blue Star House, 234-244 Stockwell Road, Brixton London SW9 9SP telephone 02079266122. A Fee of £110.00 is applicable.